


Getting Schooled

by WolfenM



Series: The Journeymen [2]
Category: Iron Fist (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Brotherly Love, Canonical Child Abuse, Character Study, Child Abuse, Domestic Fluff, Episode Related, Episode Tag, Families of Choice, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Humor, M/M, Makeover, New Beginnings, Past Child Abuse, Possibly Pre-Slash, Pre-Slash, Series Finale, Series Tag, Shopping, Sparring, Travel, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-09-16 04:26:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16946970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfenM/pseuds/WolfenM
Summary: If Ward's going to travel with Danny, he's going to have to make some changes .... Covers the first couple of days or so into Danny and Ward's adventures.





	1. Bargain-Hunters

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: Danny Rand, Ward Meachum, Iron Fist, Joy Meachum, Howard Meachum, Colleen Wing, Davos, Madame Gao, Bethany, Katie, Orson Randall, Misty Knight, Luke Cage, The Hand, K'un-Lun, Matt Murdock, Daredevil, Jessica Jones all ©/TM Marvel, and not used with permission; this is not an official work. (I might not be using all these people; just covering my bases, LOL!)

The taxi driver let them off at the hotel Katie had booked for them, and they checked in. Ward handled the details (including asking for complimentary toiletries for what he hadn't brought along, like a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a razor and shaving cream). That left Danny free to soak in their surroundings, taking note of things like the placements of entryways, the locations of stairwells, and possible places to hide, especially closer to the ceiling. As he did this, a thought occurred to him, but he kept it to himself while Ward finished up, wanting to mull it over a bit more before posing the idea. 

After they'd settled things in their room and went in search of someplace for Ward to get some more clothes, Danny grabbed Ward's wrist as the man was about to enter a store. 

Ward immediately tensed. "What, are we in trouble?" His eyes flicked about nervously. 

Danny felt a twinge of guilt. "No, no, we're fine, but let's get something to eat first." 

Ward let out a shaky breath. "Sure, sure." 

Danny scanned the area and spotted an outdoor cafe nearby, pulling Ward to it. Before long, they were seated and devouring their order. Watching Ward eat with a fork, Danny realised with a pang that it would probably be a while before he'd be sparring with anyone again over the last potsticker. He missed Colleen already. 

Shaking away the thought, he asked, "Do you know how to use chopsticks?" 

"Huh? Oh, sure, but ... well, I'm not very good with them. A fork is easier, and I have one here, so ...." And Ward took another bite. 

"Well, you're on a journey to become someone new, right? So why not challenge yourself when the opportunity arises?" 

Ward looked like he was going to scoff, then cocked his head as he chewed, considering, and swallowed -- both food and, apparently, his pride. "You know what? You're right. Time to stop making excuses." 

Ward laid his fork down and took up the pair of wooden chopsticks he'd been given, breaking them apart. He more or less seemed to know what he was doing, but Danny helped him with his form. Soon, the man was actually using the utensils quite capably! 

_He's a fast learner_ , Danny noted with pride. 

"You know, I can think of a few other ways, right of the top of my head, you could challenge yourself," Danny offered, deciding to follow through on the idea he'd come up with at the hotel. 

Ward paused before another bite, looking wary. "Such as ...?" 

"Well, has there ever really been a time in your life you've had to worry about money? I mean, most people in the world, they can't escape thinking about it, but until the plane crash, I never worried about if I had enough to eat, or the state of my clothes ...." 

Ward blinked owlishly. "Sooo, I should get into a plane crash ...?" 

Danny chuckled. "No, no. I'm saying we should set a budget for ourselves. Watch what we spend. Eat on the cheap. Stay in places that have three stars or less. Wear clothes that are more like what the average person would wear--" 

"So, sweatpants and a t-shirt, like you," Ward noted wryly. 

"Maybe not that extreme, if you're not comfortable in it," Danny admitted. "I just mean, like, maybe not Armani? Especially if we're going to be travelling to ... less _reputable_ places." 

"Mm. That's a fair point," Ward replied, lips pursed. "It doesn't seem wise to walk into Sherwood Forest decked out like a nobleman." 

Danny nodded vigorously, relieved that Ward had been easier to convince than he'd feared. "Or into crime lord territory looking like we might be competition?" 

"That, too," Ward agreed with a wry smile. Then, with a mischievous glint, "You realise, of course, that this means you're now going to have to be my personal shopper. I mean, I don't know the first thing about hoodie couture." 

Danny scrunched his nose. "I've seen you in hoodies!" 

"Yes, but someone else always _bought_ bought them," Ward pointed out. 

Danny rolled his eyes, unsure how serious the man was being. "All right, Your Majesty, I'll teach you how to be a commoner." 

"Good man!" Ward patted him on the shoulder, then finished off the last of his meal. "Oh! I forgot to call Katie!" Ward took out his phone, and grimaced when he looked at the screen "Hmm. Yeah, even I'm not so mean as to call a person at 6:30 AM. Remind me to call after we get back to the hotel." 

Danny nodded. (He thought maybe he should call Colleen at the hotel too, but wasn't sure she would _want_ him to, after how he'd left, with just a note instead of a conversation ....) 

Their meal finished, they went on a leisurely walk, eyes open for a less pricey clothing store. 

"This one looks promising," Danny remarked when they came across a store advertising three full suits for the equivalent of $100 American. 

Ward cringed, but didn't actually complain, just followed Danny inside. 

"We'll get one suit for me and two for you," Danny suggested. 

"Only _two?_ " Ward seemed a bit alarmed. "Why not four for me and two for you?" 

"Budget, Ward, budget. How many suits do you think the average person has, anyway?" 

"... Five?" 

"Two, maaaybe three. Most non-executive office types just change up the shirts, ties, and maybe the pants. They might not even wear a suit jacket at _all_ some days, just a nice shirt." 

Ward shuddered. "How do you even _know_ this stuff, Mr Grew Up in a Monastery?" 

"I know how to Google now, Ward. And how to talk with people, and how to observe ...." 

Ward sighed. "Things _I_ need to start doing." 

"Hey, you said it, not me. And that's good -- shows you're self-aware!" Danny added as he entered the store. 

"Well, Joy would say that's my problem -- all too self-aware, and not aware of anyone else," Ward replied ruefully as he followed Danny. 

Danny stopped short. Did Joy really say things like that to her brother, or was Ward simply interpreting things that way? Once upon a time, Danny wouldn't have believed it of her, but she'd changed a lot after learning about Howard. "If she thinks that, that's on her. You've basically sacrificed yourself for her, made her the center of your world, for _years_ , Ward. _I_ see it, even if _she_ doesn't." 

Ward looked _extremely_ uncomfortable. "That's kind, but ... I mean, you weren't there -- not that that's your fault," he quickly added. "I mean ..." 

"So it's hard to not believe her over me, when _she's_ the one who lived through it -- and I _didn't_ ," Danny finished, heartbroken for his friend. Could Ward ever believe in himself again if Joy _wouldn't?_

Ward winced. "Sorry." 

Danny sighed. "She worshipped the ground Howard walked on, then struck up a partnership with Davos. I'm not saying she can't ever be right, but I wouldn't invest everything in her judgement, ya know? If you didn't love her, you wouldn't have made such an effort to reconcile." 

"Or I could be co-dependent." 

"Or you could be a big brother who loves and protects his sister." 

Ward rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Well, right _now_ , I'm a guy who needs some clothes, so let's stop with the therapy session, huh?" 

Danny nodded with a rueful smile. "Okay, I'll behave." 

They chose their suits, and then Danny let Ward splurge on an extra pair of pants, another couple of ties, and two more button-down shirts. 

On their way back to the hotel, they passed a shop with cheap t-shirts for sale; to Danny's shock, Ward stopped in front of it. 

"You wanna, uh ... help me pick out something more casual, too?" 

Danny grinned. "Sure. How casual we talkin'?" 

"I guess a ... a sweatshirt or a hoodie? And a t-shirt or two," Ward shrugged. 

Danny nodded, heading towards a rack of zippered hoodies (better for temperature regulation and quick-change disguise, he felt, since you could easily take them off and put them back on). After showing Ward a few options, they decided on dark maroon rather than black like Danny's, so they didn't look like they were part of some gang or something. 

"And this way, if I bleed, no one will notice!" Ward quipped. 

Danny was suddenly far less enthusiastic about the choice, but kept his feelings to himself. 

He helped Ward pick out three t-shirts and a couple pairs of jeans -- and even talked him into a pair of sweatpants. Last was a duffle bag (the suits had come with garment bags, but they needed a means for toting the rest of the clothes). As they paid for everything, it occurred to Danny that they'd never actually _set_ a budget yet -- and if they'd bothered to, they'd probably gone well over what Danny would have set. Even so, he considered the casual additions to Ward's wardrobe a victory. 

Or he would have, if he hadn't started suspecting that Ward had been trolling him the entire time, wasn't really just a spoiled, clueless rich boy. Maybe Danny had a thing or two to learn himself ....


	2. We Could Be Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Ward help a child who reminds Ward a bit too much of himself.

On their way back to the hotel, Ward stopped suddenly, tension emanating off of him this time -- not another store getting his attention, then. 

Danny followed Ward's gaze, and saw a man holding a child's forearm at a painful angle, shaking the kid, who was crying. A bag was laying on the ground before them, food spilling out of it. 

"Oh, stop your whining and take your punishement like a man!" the man snapped; American, by his accent. "You don't wanna get yelled at? Then be more careful!" He jerked the boy around. 

"I'm sorry! _I'm sorry!_ " the child wailed. 

The man lifted the child into the air by the arm, yelling, "Then do what I say, and stop being such a clumsy, wasteful little _shit!_ " in the kid's face. "Do you think this vacation's been _cheap?_ " He shook the a child for emphasis, the kid's feet dangling. 

"PUT HIM DOWN!" Ward growled, storming over, Danny a beat behind. 

"Mind your own business, pal!" the man snapped back. 

Ward dropped his bags and, with both hands, grabbed the man's arm that was holding the child, pushing it down so the kid's feet touched the ground. "No one was there for me when I was _him_ ; I won't let someone else suffer like _I_ did!" he growled. "So sorry, pal, but this _is_ my business!" 

Danny's stomach lurched as he realised Ward was basically seeing Howard again in this man. Danny hadn't really thought about what it had meant for Ward, after learning a psycho Howard had turned out to be. Oh, he'd known Howard had done things to make Ward hate him, but he had never really considered what that had _meant_ for Ward. In just a single moment arranged by Howard, the elder Meachum had taken Danny's parents and caused Danny to be raised in a monastery, but Ward, it seemed, had suffered _years_ of torture. When they got back to their hotel room, should he ask Ward about it ...? 

The man released the kid, who stumbled; Danny caught the boy before he could hit the ground. Ward clocked the man, then did it again, and again, roaring all the while. 

Danny couldn't decide whether he should intervene or not: Ward needed to get the poison of whatever Howard had done to him out of his system, but they really didn't know if this man _deserved_ a smack-down of _this_ degree. Also, Ward be might be _arrested_ at this rate (although, there weren't many people around, and the few there were hurried past, obviously not wanting to get involved). Not to mention that it might scare the boy to see his father treated so brutally ... or, it might teach him that his father was just a man, like any other, and dial back any fear the boy might harbour towards him. 

Ward ran out of steam before Danny could decide. The guy only wavered a moment from the last hit, before slamming into Ward like an angry bull. Once Ward was pinned against a wall, the man started punching Ward in the gut. 

Danny punched the guy in the kidney, leaving the man gasping pathetically on the pavement like a fish out of water. 

Of course, Ward wasn't in much better shape. "You all right?" Danny asked, gently feeling Ward's ribs. 

Ward laid a hand over one of Danny's, stilling him. "I'll live -- is the _kid_ all right?" 

Danny turned back to the child, gently reaching a hand out to the boy's shoulder. "You okay?" 

Casting his eyes to the ground and sniffling back a sob, the kid shrugged, then threw a furtive glance back at the unconscious man. 

"Danny, let me handle this," Ward suggested. 

Danny moved aside, repositioning himself to take in the entire scene. (He wasn't sure Ward would be any better with the child, but between the two of themn, Danny was the better candicate for keeping an eye on the unconcious man; the last thing they needed was to get jumped by him because they were both looking entirely away.) 

Ward knelt (far too gingerly for Danny's liking) beside the youth. "Heya, kid. My name's Ward, and this is my friend Danny." 

The child sniffed hard, then grew wide-eyed when he finally looked -- _really_ looked -- at Danny abnd Ward. "I know you guys! You own the company my mom and dad both work for, Rand Enterprises!" 

Danny and Ward shared a panicked look -- the last thing they wanted was publicity! But to Danny's shock, Ward didn't deny the boy's observation. "That's right! And since Danny and I are the bosses, everyone has to listen to us, so you've got nothin' to be scared of now, okay? We won't let _anyone_ hurt you, I _promise_. Now, is that guy your dad?" 

The boy paled, but nodded. 

"Did he hurt you?" 

The boy hesitated. 

"You're not in trouble, kid. You don't even have to tell me what happened -- I just wanna make sure you're okay, and get you a band-aid, or an ice pack, or whatever, if you need it." 

Lip trembling, the boy touched the arm the man had held him up by. 

"Can I see?" Ward asked. The boy nodded, and Ward gently held the arm up; even a few feet away, Danny could see the beginnings of a bruise. "That looks like it hurts," Ward remarked. "Has he hurt you other places besides your arm? Your back, maybe?" 

Danny thought he detected a bit of a break in Ward's voice. 

Hesitating a moment, Jeremy nodded, and Danny's heart broke twice over: once for Jeremy's sake, and once because Ward's own experiences had made him think to ask the boy the question in the first place. "H-he ..." The boy glanced at his father's prone form, then whispered in Ward's ear. 

Ward clenched his knuckles, his features twisting in rage for a moment. Then he took a deep breath, steeling his features into gentleness, and asked, "What's your name, kid?" 

"Jeremy," the boy supplied uneasily. 

"Well, Jeremy, he shouldn't have done that. I don't care _what_ you did; you didn't deserve that. Okay? _He_ broke the _rules_." 

Something in Ward's tone sent a chill down Danny's spine, but the boy was clearly oblivious to it, looking at Ward now with adoration as he nodded. 

"Now, is your mom nearby?" Ward asked. 

"At the hotel -- she wasn't feeling good, so she's lying down. Dad and I went out to eat and were on our way back, but I dropped the bag with Mom's food in it, and it spilled," Jeremey replied. 

"Jeremy?" A confused and wary-looking woman approached from back the way they'd come. 

Ward stood up, Danny following suit. 

"Mom?" the boy greeted. "Are you feeling better?" 

"Not really -- I couldn't sleep with the nausea, so I went looking for some ginger ale. Jeremy, what are you doing with this strange man?" the mother asked, eyes on Ward as she hurried her pace for the last few steps. "Where's your fa-- _Michael!_ " The woman was clearly torn for a moment over whom she should look after, finally grabbing the boy's hand as she knelt beside his dad. "Michael, speak to me!" she begged, gently shaking the man's shoulder. "Did _you_ do something to him?" she whirled on Ward. Then her eyes grew comically wide. "M-Mr _Meachum?!_ And Mr Rand!" she gaped. 

"I punched your husband. A lot. Danny hit him too," Ward explained matter-of-factly, his rage still burning hot enough to burn away all common sense, it seemed. 

Danny resisted the urge to faceplam, instead holding his hands up placatingly. "We did it to keep him from hurting your son anymore," he elaborated. "When we got here, he was holding your son up by the arm like a rag-doll and shaking him." And seeing a slight tremor in his hands, Danny suddenly realised that he wasn't exactly calm himself. 

By the flummoxed look she gave them, they might as well have said they'd attacked her husband because aliens had told them to. "What the hell are you talking about? Michael would _never_ hurt our son! You probably just didn't see what was happening clearly." 

"My mother never would have believed it either, my father was so devoted to her," Ward replied, his eyes haunted; Danny swallowed back a rise of bile. "But abusers often seem really nice to the people they _aren't_ abusing." Ward knelt beside Jeremy again. "If you want to show her now what he's been doing to you, I _promise_ you won't get in trouble -- like I said, Danny and I will keep him from ever hurting you again. But it's up to you." 

Jeremy bit his lip, looking at his mother. He shook his head, looking back at Ward. "She won't believe me, and Daddy will be mad when he wakes up!" 

"She _will_ believe, and it won't matter if he's angry -- he won't touch you," Danny promised. "Mr Meachum and I are their bosses, remember?" He turned his attention to the mother; he didn't like abusing his power as Rand Co-CEO, but it was better than letting the boy continue to be abused by his father. "You're going to listen, and you're _not_ going to punish Jeremy or make him doubt himself. Are we clear?" 

She scowled. "You have no right--" 

"What's more important to you, lady? Your husband's 'good name', or your _son's well-being?_ " Ward asked heatedly. "Are you really going to disagree with our assessment that your husband shouldn't have been doing to your son what we _saw_ him do? Or do you think we had some _other_ reason to knock your husband unconscious? Or that your son is a liar?" 

Chastened, she shook her head. "Come here, sweetie, it's okay." She reached out to her son, gently turned him around, and carefully lifted his shirt, baring his back. With a gasp, she dropped it again, turning pale, stifling a cry with her hand. She turned to her husband -- and raised that hand to strike the man. 

Danny grabbed her wrist. "That's not going to help anything. You need to start thinking, right now, about what to do for your son. You can't just leave with him -- that might be seen as kidnapping. If you want, we can call the American embassy, and they can help you sort this out." 

Lips tight against her tears, she nodded. Then she gently embraced her son, mindful of his injuries. "Baby, I'm so, _so_ sorry. I won't let him hurt you ever again!" 

"I'm going to call the embassy now, if you're ready," Ward informed the mother. 

Giving her husband a pained look, she closed her eyes and nodded. 

Danny was more than a little awed as he listened to Ward make the necessary calls; Danny hadn't even known here to begin! He was further impressed as he listened to Ward make arrangements with Katie to help the woman and Jeremy find someplace else to stay when she got back to the States (they'd be staying at the embassy for the moment), and arranged both a lawyer and a bodyguard for them. 

The embassy sent two cars -- one for Jeremy, his mother, Ward, and Danny, and another for Michael. The latter was handcuffed before Danny woke him, and though belligerent at first, quickly cottoned on to the seriousness of his situation, ultimately cooperating. 

At the embassy, Ward and Danny gave statements. It seemed there had been a pair of security cameras that recorded it all, corroborating their story, and so, with Jeremy's own statement, they were quickly absolved of any potential wrongdoing and sent on their way, late that night. 

The ride back to the hotel was a quiet one, Danny debating the whole while whether to say anything. Ward kept his gaze trained out the window the entire way. Danny wondered what his friend was reliving, wishing he could have been there for young Ward when the boy had initially gone though it -- even as Danny wasn't sure how to be there for adult Ward _now_. 


	3. Hearts to Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Colleen have a much-needed conversation, before Danny and Ward have an even more needed one.

"Maybe I should teach you a few moves," Danny suggested once they settled back into their hotel room.

"You're gonna teach me to _dance_ now?" Ward chuckled distractedly, drawing out his phone and dialing. "Hey, Katie, it's me. Yeah, I want you to find us a cheaper hotel in the area. Something three-star. No, no, this place is great, but Danny and I have decided to try, uh ... _roughing_ it, so to speak. Yes, I remember about the meeting at 3. Yes, I know that's 3 AM here -- I'll set my alarm. Yes, I got the laptop you sent. Okay. Okay. Sure. Thanks, Katie! Have a good day." And he hung up. "Guess I better get what sleep I can, huh? Oh, crap, I didn't buy pyjamas!" he noted as he started to unbutton his shirt.

"A lot of people just wear a t-shirt and sweats to bed, Ward."

"Oh, is that what you _peasants_ do?" Ward grinned, throwing his button-down shirt at Danny's face.

Laughing Danny caught it before it touched him, and whipped it right back at Ward; it settled on the man's head.

Ward tried to blow the sleeve out of his face, but it fell back into his eyes. He took it off and tossed it over his shoulder, apparently not caring (to Danny's great surprise) that it landed on the floor. "Okay, I guess I asked for that. Never go against the Iron Fist!"

Danny managed to keep from wincing at the reminder of his loss. "Like I said, I could teach you some moves," Danny offered again (keeping his eyes on Ward's, so as to avoid the temptation to scan the other man's torso for signs of scarring from anything Howard might have done to him).

Ward blinked in surprise. "Wait, do you mean _fighting_ moves?"

"Yeah, why not?"

Ward ducked his head. "I dunno, I ... kinda got into a bar fight not long ago. Got my ass handed to me, too -- which I _totally_ deserved."

"No one comes out of the gate able to fight, Ward -- it takes training and practice! And it's never too late to start!"

"No, that's not what I ..." Ward sighed and sat on his bed. "I mean, if I _had_ known how to fight well, I could have hurt the guy -- and I had no _right_ to. It was his bar, and he had every reason to _literally_ throw me out."

"Oh ..." Yeah, Danny could see how that might be a concern. "Well, I'm proud of you for recognising that fact. But at the same time, it seems to me that that concern is less a matter of your fighting skill, and more a matter of your drinking problem. If you're never drunk, you'll be a better judge of when to and when _not_ to fight."

Ward gave a soft laugh. "Well, I'm glad _one_ of us has that kind of faith in me."

Danny decided to try another tactic. "What if I teach you moves that are defensive only? As in, you couldn't hurt anyone with them unless they were hurting you first, and the damage wouldn't be permanent?"

Ward mulled it over. "I _guess_ that would be okay ...."

Danny breathed out in relief; the more he thought about it, the more he was worried about the kinds of situations they might get into on their journey, and whether Ward might get hurt.

"Tomorrow, though," Ward added, getting up and heading for the bathroom. "I have that meeting, remember?"

"Sure, sure," Danny agreed, allowing himself to scan Ward's back, since Ward couldn't see him staring. The light was dim, but Danny thought he could see faint circles (likely burns; Howard had been fond of cigars) and a few long, thin, faint lines. Maybe razor slices? Or knife cuts, even?

Swallowing his anger -- it wasn't like he could do anything to Howard -- he focused on what he _could_ do for his friend: he started mentally planning the first defence lesson.

He didn't get very far, though, when his phone rang.

Colleen.

Swallowing hard, he swiped to accept. "Hey, I'm _really_ sorry I didn't text earlier, let you know we landed."

Colleen chuckled. " _It's all right; Katie let me know you guys got in okay -- and that you had something of an adventure already!_ "

He let out a sigh of relief that she didn't seem angry. Still ... "I'm sorry I left without talking to you."

" _That's okay too, Danny. I mean ... if you _had_ , I don't think I could have let you go. I would have talked you into staying, or I would have insisted on coming with you ... but they need an Iron Fist here, and we definitely need to find out where that corpse came from._" (Her use of "we" was a good sign, he thought.) " _If there are people coming after Iron Fists for their power, we_ both _need to know._ "

Danny nodded, then remembered she couldn't see him. "Yeah," he replied, his voice rough. He missed her terribly, already.

" _It's just,_ " she went on, " _I wish you'd_ taught _me a few things about the Fist before you left, Danny!_ " Okay, there is was -- she _was_ angry, at least a little. " _I mean, I feel like you left me high and dry, here!_ "

He winced. He hadn't even considered that! "Colleen, that's because I don't think there's anything for me _to_ teach you! I mean, you seemed to have a better grasp of the Fist in your first five minutes with it than I had after _months_ with it. That's why I thought you were the better candidate. But if you have a question, ask away -- I'll do my best to answer."

Boy, did she have questions -- but they weren't all about the Fist.

" _You know ... we should probably talk about ... well,_ us," she eventually raised.

His heart started pounding; he'd felt less fear facing The Hand. "Okay ...."

" _It's not that I want to break up!_ " she hurriedly assured him. " _It's just ..._ I've _had other relationships, but I'm ... you know. Your_ first _. And I just feel like, if we can't be together right now, I don't want you to feel like you're_ chained _to me. If you come across an opportunity, you should explore it, guilt-free!_ " She sounded like she was talking to herself as much as him.

Was this some kind of a test? Not that it mattered. "Colleen, I love _you_ \-- I don't _want_ other opportunities!"

" _That's the thing, Danny, I love you too, but how can you_ know _you love me -- or_ how _you love me -- if you have no basis for comparison?_ "

How? Comparison? She wasn't making any sense. Unless .... "Is it that you don't want to be with _me_ anymore? Is it because I left like I did? Look, I'll come right back! I'll get on the next plane--"

" _Danny, no, I still love you, I swear! And if, when you come back, you still want to be with me, then it's meant to be. Absence makes the heart grow fonder -- or forgetful. I just don't want you to look at me ten years from now and wonder what might have been if you didn't commit yourself to the first person you fell in love with. I mean, it's rare that first relationships last forever, but when people leave and come back, they stand a better chance -- and if they_ don't _come back, then they find who they're_ really _meant to be with._ "

Danny couldn't speak over the rock forming in his throat.

" _Besides ... since Ward's with you, maybe it's time the two of you explore what you have, you know?_ "

It wouldn't have been any bigger of a sucker-punch with the Fist.

" _What?!_ Colleen, I don't love him like _that_ \-- h-he's like my _brother!_ "

Why didn't that feel like the whole truth?

" _And if that's all it is, great! But ... well, to be honest, Danny, I've always felt like there was something more between you, and I guess I've always been a little ..._ jealous _of it._ "

"Wait, is _that_ why you never really liked him?"

" _Not the_ only _reason -- he didn't exactly make a great first impression! But it may be why I can't seem to like him even though I know he's changed. Look, Danny, there are a lot of different kinds of love out there. Like, it's not just lovers and brothers, ya know? Some soulmates never have sex, some friends have benefits without a commitment, and sometimes people have sex with no love at all. I've known pansexuals, and people in poly relationships ... I guess what I'm saying is that I will always love you, even if we never sleep together again, but I'm also willing to learn to share. I'll give whatever you need, and accept whatever you want to give when you come back -- even if it's just friendship after all. And I'm not saying go jump Ward's bones! I'm just saying not to close the door on any possibilities unless you're really sure you_ want _to close it. Allow yourself to at least take a peek, okay? Because I'd never be totally sure of your love for me if you never get a chance to_ try _being with anyone else._ "

He tried to swallow the lump down, but failed. Then a thought occurred to him. "What about _you?_ Are _you_ going to see other people?" He wasn't totally convinced that this wasn't about her just not wanting to be with him anymore.

" _I won't if you don't want me to. I mean, I've already been with other people, before we met ...._ "

He believed she wouldn't, but that wasn't the same as not _wanting_ to. He thought on her words. If she loved him enough, she would come back to him; if she didn't, she deserved to find someone she _truly_ loved. "No. No, you should have the same freedom. And you're right: if we're meant to be, then we'll find each other again." He was terrified that they wouldn't -- not in that way. And if they didn't, it would be because he wasn't ... _enough_.

" _And I'll still love you when you get back, whether it's as a lover or not,_ " she reiterated.

It was cold comfort, but comfort nonetheless, knowing she'd still be un his life _somehow_. "Yeah. You're my friend no matter what," he replied.

" _Good. I love you._ "

"I love you too," he managed, barely above a whisper.

"Goodnight," she replied softly, then ended the call.

For all her assurances, it felt like a good _bye_.

He sat there, staring at the phone, stomach in knots, telling himself he was overreacting, wondering if he would ever really see her again, and wishing he'd never left. If he hadn't, maybe they never would have had this conversation ....

Or would it have happened eventually anyway?

Ward came out then, a towel around his waist and another drying his hair. "Was that Coll--" Ward stopped short, staring hard at Danny before hurriedly sitting beside him, taking Danny's free hand in his. "What's happened? Is she okay?"

It was only then that Danny realised he was crying -- and so there was no point in lying. "She's fine, but ... she broke up with me. Well, not exactly, but she said we should see other people, and I said okay, even though I don't _want_ to, but she had a good point, but now I really wish I had never left home, and--" He hiccupped, then covered his mouth, trying to dam whatever threatened to come out next. Fingers, he quickly (re)discovered, proved a completely inadequate wall against sobs.

"Jesus," Ward breathed, letting go of Danny's hand and putting an arm around Danny's shoulder; he pulled Danny against him, so Danny's head was against Ward's shoulder, then leaned his own head against Danny's. "That's rough -- I'm sorry, man."

For a guy who had trouble saying he loved someone, it seemed he had no problem _showing_ it.

Danny wasn't sure Ward _really_ wanted to deal with crying, but he took the man's offer of a shoulder anyway, relaxing into the embrace and letting the tears flow, wondering if Colleen was crying too. (He hoped Misty was there for her if she was.)

The heat of Ward, the way he rubbed Danny's shoulder and rocked gently, and the scent of the hotel's soap and shampoo, were all soothing.

The next thing Danny knew, he was waking up to the sound of Ward more or less hissing at someone.

Opening his eyes slightly, he saw Ward, back in a button-down shirt, sitting at the laptop, his face looking nearly demonic in its light.

It gave Danny a chill, but also, strangely, thrilled him. He surreptitiously watched his friend work, Ward controlling the meeting room almost effortlessly from even half a world away. By now, most of the people working at Rand were respectable, but there were two people he and Ward both hadn't been able to get rid of or convince to leave; Ward, thankfully, had them well in hand, so even if they insisted on staying, they weren't able to assert themselves enough to cause any trouble. Also present in this meeting were a couple board-members of a small corporation that Rand was working with, but with whom Danny and Ward had grown dissatisfied with for some questionable activities. This company had been brought in by one of the two problematic board-members; the way Ward was dealing with them now, they wouldn't likely be a problem anymore -- and with any luck, that particular board-member would likewise take a hike!

Danny had to stifle a whoop when, by the end of the meeting, the board-member and his corporate allies had indeed bailed.

"Like that, did you?" Ward asked as he shut the laptop down, his pleased-but-evil smile contagious.

"How did you know I was awake?" Danny wondered, sitting up.

"You stopped snoring," Ward replied.

Danny sputtered. "I don't snore!"

"You do when you sleep on a bed," Ward countered. "Colleen thinks it's because you equate sleeping in a bed with sleeping in safety, so you're finally distracted enough to sleep soundly, and not be ... _alert_."

"Huh." His girlfriend and his brother had talked about his sleeping habits (despite his girlfriend not even really _liking_ his brother)? _And_ they agreed that he _snored_? Danny fought the urge to hide under the covers in humiliation.

Ward suddenly winced. "Oh, sorry, I probably shouldn't mention the C-word."

And then suddenly Danny remembered the phone call. He swallowed down the sudden queasiness that came with the fresh memory. "Kinda hard to avoid. Besides, it's not like she and I aren't still friends." She'd even said she didn't want to break up, right?

"Well, at any rate, I take it as a compliment that you feel that safe in my presence," Ward went on, clearly trying to avert the subject of Colleen. "Even if you probably shouldn't rely on me to protect you while you sleep. Well, unless my death-gurgle would be enough to wake you," Ward added with a chuckle.

That reminded Danny. "I bet the gym is pretty empty at this hour -- and that they have some mats. I'll start teaching you some blocks."

" _Now?_ It's 4 AM!"

"It's 4 _PM_ in New York, plus we slept a lot on the plane ride here." And Danny needed the distraction.

Ward sputtered a few times, then sighed. (Maybe he was _also_ thinking Danny needed the distraction.) "Fine, fine. Let me change again, and we'll go. I can try out my spiffy new sweatpants and one of those ... whaddya call 'em? Z-shorts?" He winked before heading off to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, they were down in the hotel gym -- which wasn't empty, since there were a few other Americans in the hotel, their internal clocks just as off for the time-zone. As Danny suspected, the gym did indeed have mats; they just had to move some equipment. Space cleared, Danny started them off with some stretches.

"I gotta admit, Danny, I feel a little ridiculous."

"Better ridiculous than in agony," Danny pointed out.

"He's right," agreed a nearby woman lifting weights.

"See?" Danny teased.

"Fine," Ward sighed, mirroring Danny's moves, if a bit clumsily.

When Danny was satisfied that they'd stretched enough, he began the lesson by teaching Ward to block blows from different angles, then moved on to ducking. Now and then, others in the gym would stop to watch and cheer Ward on. At first, Danny wished they would go away, worried that Ward would shrink from the attention. He quickly saw, though, that the support actually _emboldened_ Ward.

Howard had likely mostly belittled Ward; of _course_ Ward would blossom under _positive_ encouragement. So Danny made sure he was similarly encouraging -- or better, soothed Ward when he made mistakes, telling him it was okay. At one point, he reminded Ward, "Don't forget, I was doing this stuff every day, _hours_ a day, for _ten years_. We _all_ start as beginners!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Ward panted. Then he straightened. "Wait, so I'll be doing this for the next _decade?_ "

"Well, it wouldn't hurt, but really, you could probably maintain enough ability to protect yourself from the average mugger with just thirty minutes for a day or two a week. Treat it like soccer moms treat yoga or something. Well, unless you mean you _want_ to become the ..." He coughed. "Well, like what I was. What Colleen _is_."

"Maybe not, but it sounds like I'll at least need a bit more than mugger-defence-level for this trip," Ward remarked.

"So, not day-in, day-out training, no, but an hour every day, maybe? Could you handle that?"

"I hope so," Ward nodded. "I'm gonna _need_ the daily refresher, I think, if I'm going to _remember_ these moves."

"Don't worry about memorising them with your head," Danny told him. "That's what _I'm_ here for, to tell you what to do." Danny ignored how Ward waggled his eyebrows at that. "Eventually, it will become _muscle_ memory -- and then you won't even have to _think_ about it." With that, he kicked out, gratified when Ward ducked. Like with the chopsticks, Ward was a fast learner -- and better than he gave himself credit for. "Now, let's try some throws," he suggested.

Ward looked around. "Who am I gonna _practice_ with?" The room was empty of others now, and had been for a few minutes.

"You'll learn from a video, then try it out on me," Danny explained, cueing up one on his phone.

Ward didn't look thrilled, but he didn't complain. Danny made him watch the video three times, then walked him through the motions twice. When it came time to put the move into practice, though, it seemed Ward just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"You don't have to worry about hurting me, Ward."

"My head knows that, but ...."

How to get past this hurdle? Could they find a dummy to use? It wouldn't really be the same, but it would be _something_.

Then a better idea occurred to Danny. "Don't think of this as a fight; look at this as a _dance_."

Ward gave him a level look. "You know Joy wanted her and me to be a figure-skating pair, right? When we were eight. And the first time we tried a lift, I dropped her, and she broke her nose when she hit the ground."

Oh. So _that_ was why Ward couldn't even _try_ to throw Danny. So much for trying to get Ward's subconscious to look at the throw as something positive, an art, with Danny as a partner, instead of a matter of life and death, with Danny as an enemy! So now, what? Danny didn't want to attack Ward, and thus _force_ him into fighting -- that might ruin the trust they had. So what could motivate Ward ...?

"Ward, if we get ambushed, I'm not going to be able to fight if I'm having to look out for you. You _have_ to be prepared. Throwing me down now could help you to _save my life later_. Understand?"

"Danny, I'm not a fighter!" Ward protested, running a hand through his hair and starting to pace. "If having me along might put you at risk, then ... well, maybe it's better for both of us if I go home."

Well, _that_ didn't go as planned.

"Ward, _please_ , I _can't_ do this by myself -- you're all I have! And I _know_ you can do this -- you just have to learn."

Ward paused in his pacing and looked away, his jaw clenched and his fingers turning white as he gripped a treadmill's handlebar. "Danny ... I hope this ... _faith_ that you have in my abilities isn't because I was able to ..." he looked around, lowering his voice, "to _kill my own father_."

"What? _No!_ Well ... not exactly." Danny lowered his voice too. "Honestly, under the right circumstances, _anyone_ can kill in self-defence -- and given all he did to you, over and over, it _was_ defence. Hell, Ward, he'd bashed you in the head and left you for dead like five minutes before you'd shot him! So no, what you did that night isn't really proof of you being able to fight or something -- I wasn't even _thinking_ of that just now!"

"Then is it because I killed that guy who was helping Davos?" asked as he returned to pacing.

Danny had learned to recognised when Ward was slipping into an episode of mania -- he needed to talk his friend down! He reached out, grabbing hold of Ward's hand, hoping to ground his friend, and was glad to find Ward return the grip immediately. (A couple of years ago, Ward would have pulled away, Danny was sure.)

"You mean that guy who was _threatening Joy?_ " Dany asked. "Again, that was defence, and again, I wasn't even thinking of that -- it's _not_ why I have confidence in you. No, the reason I believe in you is because I see you take on challenge after challenge and get things done! You picked up the chopsticks like that--" Danny snapped his free fingers "-- because you _listened_. Same with the other moves you've learned in the past hour. Not to mention how you handled helping Jeremy and his mom -- I didn't even know where to _start_. You owned the room during that meeting, and you weren't even _in_ the room -- you're a force to be reckoned with -- _when_ you're sober and focused."

"Sober. Right." Sighing, Ward sat beside Danny, never letting go of his hand. Gratified at the contact (and then suddenly wondering, troublingly, if Ward touched him so easily, despite having trouble saying the "L"-word, because he was touch- _starved_ ), Danny gave Ward's hand a quick squeeze.

"Besides," Danny went on, " _defence_ is what I want to teach you, remember? Just ... a less _lethal_ kind -- that should be _easier_ than what you've had to do in the past. If you're bothered by having killed -- never mind that I don't blame you at all for doing it -- but if you are, then you _need_ to learn other ways to handle the people we're likely to run into, or muggers back home, because _none_ of them are going to say, 'Oh, you don't want to fight? Okay, I'll let you go on your merry way.' The only other option is to let them hurt you -- or hurt the ones you love. I know you won't let the latter happen; Joy's still alive several times over _because_ you won't."

Ward quirked a brow, side-eyeing Danny. " _Several_ times over?" he snorted.

"How often did you lie to keep her away from Howard? Even with as much as Howard claimed to love her, if he'd been in regular contact with her like he was with you, I am one _thousand_ percent sure he would have turned on her eventually too."

"I dunno, Danny ... he _never_ loved me like he loved _her_."

"You _do_ know, Ward -- it's _why_ you kept her away from him!"

"Or maybe I just did it because I was _jealous_ of how much he loved her," Ward shrugged.

It was Danny's turn to snort. "It may very well be true that you were jealous, but that's _not_ why you kept her away. That's the _abused boy_ in you talking, telling you what Howard drilled into you: that you're bad and deserved to be punished. Don't forget that Howard was a _psycho_. Am _I_ a psycho?"

"That's debatable," Ward teased, bumping his arm, "but comparatively? No."

"Well, then, logic suggests you need to stop listening to _Howard_ , and start listening to _me_ ," Danny concluded.

Ward rolled his eyes. "Well, when you put it _that_ way ...." he got to his feet (Danny doing the same, but faster). "All right, let's try this again, 'sensei'. That's right, right? 'Sensei'?"

To be honest, it made Danny a little uncomfortable, but ... "Yeah, sure." That word's distance from his native tongue made it a little easier to hear it from Ward than "Master" would be. "Now, this time? Remember that, if you can't learn this move, you might get us killed!" he added cheerfully, patting Ward on the shoulder.

"Oh, nice pep talk!" Ward complained.

But it worked. A moment after Danny came at Ward, Danny was suddenly twirling ass-over-teakettle and getting the wind knocked out of him. He grinned up at Ward as he took the man's hand, Ward pulling him to his feet.

"Now we're cookin' with gas!" Danny cheered with a bounce.

Ward scrunched his nose in amusement. "'Cookin' with gas'? Was K'un-Lun stuck in the Forties or something?"

"Hey!"

Danny rushed at Ward, who flipped him again, then rest his foot on Danny's chest with a grin. The grin faded suddenly, Ward putting his hand over his mouth, like he was going to be sick, as he stepped away.

Danny sat up, alarmed. "Ward? You okay?"

Ward slowly shook his head, lowering his hand, his eyes full of horror. "How can you stand to have anything to do with me? After all the times I ... I _bullied_ you when we were kids?"

Danny rest his arms on his knees, thinking -- it was a good question, he had to admit. Did he even know the answer? The answer seemed like it was coming from someone else -- and, he supposed, it was: a boy who was ten years behind him. "I was an only-child, Ward -- a _lonely_ one. Yeah, you weren't exactly nice a lot of the time, but from what I understand, big brothers tormenting their younger brothers is kind of a thing, so I chalked it up to that."

"'Chalked' -- past tense. You know better now," Ward pointed out, his eyes averted.

"Yeah, I do: now, I know that Howard was a psychopath who tortured you even when you were a _kid_."

Ward's head spun so fast, Danny was surprised the man didn't pull a muscle.

"Oh, come on, Ward, it's not hard to figure out. The way you talked to Jeremy ... the scars on your back ..." Ward looked behind him, grabbing at his back, and suddenly Danny wondered if the man even knew the scars were there. Danny thought back to Ward's words during their monopoly game, about how Danny's parents would cover Danny with hugs and kisses -- and how, a teenaged Ward had revealed, Howard had told him rules were for pussies. Suddenly it hit Danny, like every brick in the Great Wall had been dumped on him, just how different their early childhoods had been. Even with how harsh a life Danny had had in K'un-Lun, he wouldn't trade for the life Ward had had with Howard. "Look. The fact that Howard had my dad murdered _before_ Howard himself died and was resurrected, proves it _wasn't_ just the resurrection that drove him insane. Looking back on the things you said to me, about how I was weak because my parents coddled me ... I understand now how that was _him_ talking. We're supposed to look to our parents, learn from them, and that's what he taught you."

"That's kind of you, Danny," Ward told him with a quiet rasp, his eyes glittering. "but ... well, it's long past time I faced up to it, right? I mean, I thought I _had_ , in the programme, but not really, did I? So here goes." He took a deep breath. "I see where you're going with all that, and ... you're right. I tried to convinced myself that my father was being truthful when he said that what did to me he did out of love, to toughen me up. But when I abused _you_ , it wasn't out of love. I did it because I thought the only way to stop him was to prove I was _like_ him. Bullying you made me feel powerful again, in control -- after _he_ made me feel power _less_. And I resented you, put you down for having the very thing that I wanted: parents who were affectionate and loving. But no matter what he did to me, I _chose_ to be cruel to you, when I didn't _have_ to be."

"That's true to some degree, yeah, but like I said, we learn from our parents, Ward. And when you're abused all the time, it takes its toll -- we find ways to survive it, often not even consciously, and those ways aren't always pretty. Davos .. his mother used to abuse him, too. Hell, abuse was part of the training for _all_ of us, but since he was her son, she was _extra_ hard on him -- and he became so much _worse_ than she _ever_ was! So the fact that you, on the other hand, took a look at yourself and _stopped_ being like Howard taught you to be, is, frankly, _amazing_. Besides," he added as Ward started to protest, "contrary to your memories, you _weren't_ always a dick -- you looked out for me, especially when we were a bit younger. Defended me from people who tried to pick on me, helped me when I was hurt -- like you did recently, when I nearly died! Even if you crossed a line -- or fifty -- when we were kids, you're not like that anymore -- you're working hard to be _better!_ "

His words, coupled with his conversation with Colleen, made something suddenly click in Danny's head. She was _right_. His younger self had indeed had something of a crush on the younger Ward, even if he hadn't recognised it as such at the time! He didn't think it would help Ward to know that right now, though, so he kept the revelation to himself (especially as he wasn't sure how he felt _now_ ).

Ward plopped down beside him on the mat, clearly caught up in some thoughts of his own. "Danny ... you seem to be forgetting that I did more than just rough you up and say mean things when we were _kids_. I mean .... I tried to have you _killed_!"

"Only _after_ I _abducted_ you and took you for a near-fatal joyride against your will," Danny reminded him. "And you couldn't do the killing yourself," he added.

"Like not doing it myself makes it _better?_ I _did_ kill two people; it's not like I don't have it in me!"

Danny shook his head. "You defended yourself and your sister twice -- and also me, in Harold's case. And _I_ almost killed your father _myself_. But as for siccing your bodyguard on me, there I was, this stranger with martial arts skills, making crazy claims when I was _supposed_ to be dead, and threatening to take your company from you. You had every reason to think I was a _dangerous imposter!_ And I _saw_ your reaction when you learned that your dad had murdered his best friend -- you were _horrified_ that he could do such a thing! You wouldn't have reacted like that to his actions if you would have willingly killed the real me yourself!"

"Danny, I think that was less a matter of me being horrified about what he'd done, and more a matter of me being horrified to realise I was, yet again, just like my dad, _because_ I'd tried to have you killed."

"Tomay-to, tomah-to, Ward -- why would you be horrified to think you were like him, if _not_ because you don't want to be the kind of person who would intend to kill a friend? Which, I would remind you, you didn't think actually you _were_ doing, since you didn't believe it was me and I threatened your life, but Howard definitely intentionally did! And considering how Davos, the _other_ guy who was like my brother, actually tried _many_ times to kill me _and_ the people I care about, as well as many innocent people, and _all_ by his own hand ... honestly, Ward? You're a _boy scout_ in comparison. Hell, _I've_ killed people, so I wouldn't exactly have room to criticise!"

Ward stared at Danny a moment, then burst out laughing. "I guess not going against the Iron Fist includes not _arguing_ with him, too!"

Danny could only manage a small chuckle.

Ward's smile fell a hundred stories. "Oh, Jesus, Danny, I'm sorry! Me and my big mouth."

"It's okay," Danny told himself more than Ward. "It wasn't good for me, and Colleen is a better Fist."

Ward put his arm around Danny (who was finding the gesture easy to get used to, leaning into it and appreciating that Ward got loser instead of drawing away). "You know, Fist or not, you'll always be a _hero_ in my book. Even as a kid, you've _always_ had the most important characteristics: compassion and courage."

"I'm not sure rushing in out of _ignorance_ is _courage_ , exactly," Danny retorted.

"It is when you know there's a chance you'll be hurt," Ward insisted. "And without the Fist, I'd say that makes you even _more_ brave." He hugged Danny tighter for a moment, for emphasis. "Colleen was a hero without the Fist -- why can't _you_ be?"

Danny sighed fondly at his friend. "Okay, I'll make you a deal: I'll believe I'm still a hero if you believe _you're_ one. Like tonight: you intervened to help Jeremy -- and not just with your fists! You used your resources to make sure he _stays_ safe, and has a chance at a happier life!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Danny could see Ward's skin flush. "Well ... let's _hope_ he will."

"He will," Danny insisted with his world-renowned Rand-brand Optimism; there was no way Ward would just forget about the kid. The boy would have an anonymous godfather in the man hencforth.

It was Ward's turn to sigh. "All right, you have a deal."

And then Ward dropped his hand down and tickled Danny's side.

Gasping, Danny rolled away, giggling as he went on the attack; Ward wasn't fast enough to escape, but did manage to wriggle away. They spent the next ten minutes chasing each other around the empty exercise room, laughing like loons. The game culminated in a round of wrestling, before they finally collapsed, breathless. When they eventually got to their feet, Ward once again threw his arm around Danny, and they walked like that back to their room.

Once inside their door, Ward gave Danny a wet smootch on the temple before letting him go. "G'Night, li'l bro!" And then he threw himself down on his bed, snoring a moment latter.

Lying in his own bed, waiting for sleep to likewise knock him out, Danny wondered: was this what Ward would have been like when they were kids -- playful and affectionate -- if not for Howard's abuse? Well, whether he would or wouldn't have been, he was _now_ \-- and Danny loved it! He hoped, despite the seriousness of their mission, that there would be plenty of time to encourage this happier, friendlier Ward ....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am planning more fics in this series, don't worry. ;) Meanwhile, I would love it very much if you would check out my [Gaiankind storyverse](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Gaiankind), here on AO3!.


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